The Armed Forces may undershoot their target of 20,000 job cuts by 2020 Ben Stansall/ AFP

One in four of Britain’s Armed Forces want to quit “as soon as they can”.

Among the factors service personnel had for leaving, opportunities outside of the service was responsible for 52 per cent. Morale in the Armed Forces also came under scrutiny, 41 per cent of respondents citing it as their reason for wanting to quit, up from 38 per cent in 2014.

The report comes as the latest development in cuts to the United Kingdom’s defence budget, with fears that the Armed Forces may undershoot its downsized force target of 82,000 by 2020, due to the level of discontent among the ranks.

The MoD had originally aimed to cut 20,000 jobs, while the government has refused to protect defence spending from further cuts, or commit to the 2 per cent NATO spending target.

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A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: "We continually strive to ensure our people feel valued and that their contribution and sacrifice is recognised. That is why we invest in a range of measures to improve service life, from welfare support to accommodation, while prioritising the principles of the Armed Forces Covenant."